Rigid hinged-lid cigarette packet

ABSTRACT

A rigid cigarette packet in the form of a rectangular-section prism defined by a cup-shaped container having a hinged lid, and wherein a collar, having a part projecting axially from an open end of the cup-shaped container, and an inner part inside the cup-shaped container, is provided, on the inner part, with two longitudinal slits defining respective tabs, the free edge of each of which extends along a respective longitudinal edge connecting a front wall and a respective lateral wall of the cup-shaped container.

[0001] The present invention relates to a rigid hinged-lid cigarette packet.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to a rigid hinged-lid cigarette packet of the type in the form of a rectangular-section prism, and comprising a cup-shaped container, a lid hinged to the container, and a collar in turn comprising a first part projecting axially from an open end of the container and connected in sliding manner to the lid, and a second part housed inside the container; the container comprising a front wall, a rear wall, and two lateral walls perpendicular to the front and rear walls and connected to the front and rear walls along longitudinal edges; each lateral wall being defined by superimposing a respective first and a respective second appendix projecting laterally from the front wall and rear wall respectively; and each first appendix being connected to the front wall along a respective longitudinal edge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Packets of the above type are normally formed from two flat blanks, a first of which, when folded, forms the container and the lid, and a second of which, when folded, forms the relative collar.

[0004] On known cigarette packing machines, the last folding operations performed on the first of said two blanks normally comprise turning said front wall over into a position facing the relative rear wall and onto said second part of the collar, and squarely folding the relative first lateral appendixes.

[0005] Theoretically, following the above two folding operations, the front and rear walls of the cup-shaped container should be perfectly parallel and perfectly juxtaposed. In actual fact, however, this is not always so, on account of the increasingly fast operating speed of the packing machines employed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to perfect packets of the above type, to ensure the above objective is safely achieved.

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a rigid hinged-lid cigarette packet in the form of a rectangular-section prism, and comprising a cup-shaped container, a lid hinged to said container, and a collar in turn comprising a first part projecting axially from an open end of said container and connected in sliding manner to said lid, and a second part housed inside said container; the container comprising a front wall, a rear wall, and two lateral walls perpendicular to the front and rear walls and connected to the front and rear walls along longitudinal edges; each lateral wall being defined by superimposing a respective first and a respective second appendix projecting laterally from the front wall and rear wall respectively; each first appendix being connected to the front wall along a respective longitudinal edge; and the packet being characterized by said collar being provided, at said second part, with at least two longitudinal slits defining respective tabs, each of which has a free edge extending along a respective said longitudinal edge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] A number of nonlimiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009]FIG. 1 shows a transparent view in perspective of a first preferred embodiment of the packet according to the present invention;

[0010]FIG. 2 shows the same view as in FIG. 1, of a second preferred embodiment of the packet according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Number 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicates as a whole a rigid hinged-lid cigarette packet in the form of a rectangular-section prism, and comprising a cup-shaped container 2, a cup-shaped lid 3 hinged to container 2 along a transverse hinge line 4, and a collar 5 in turn comprising a first part 6 projecting axially from an end opening 7 of container 2 and connected in sliding manner to lid 3 when lid 3 is positioned closing opening 7, and a second part 8 housed inside container 2.

[0012] Container 2 comprises a front wall 9, a rear wall 10, and two lateral walls 11 perpendicular to front wall 9 and rear wall 10 and connected to front wall 9 and rear wall 10 along longitudinal edges 12 crosswise to hinge line 4, which extends at an end edge of rear wall 10.

[0013] Each lateral wall 11 is defined by superimposing two appendixes 13 and 14, of which the outer appendix 13 projects laterally from front wall 9 and is connected to front wall 9 along a relative longitudinal edge 12, and the inner appendix 14 projects laterally from rear wall 10 and is connected to rear wall 10 along a relative longitudinal edge 12.

[0014] Collar 5 comprises a front wall 15 substantially coplanar with an inner surface of front wall 9; and two lateral strips 16, each of which is substantially coplanar with an inner surface of a relative lateral wall 11, and is connected to front wall 15 along a relative longitudinal edge 17 extending along and inwards of a relative longitudinal edge 12 of container 2.

[0015] A substantially C-shaped slit 18 is formed astride the portion of each longitudinal edge 17 extending along part 6 of collar 5, and comprises a straight central portion parallel to relative longitudinal edge 17, and two end portions extending across relative longitudinal edge 17. The two slits 18 are positioned with their concavities facing and opposite, and define respective tabs 20 coplanar with front wall 15, and whose free edges 19—defined by the straight central portions of respective slits 18—project laterally with respect to front wall 15 to define, in known manner, a brake for the movement of lid 3 with respect to container 2 and about hinge line 4.

[0016] In the FIG. 1 embodiment, a substantially C-shaped slit 21, substantially identical with corresponding slit 18, is formed astride the portion of each longitudinal edge 17 extending along part 8 of collar 5, and comprises a straight central portion parallel to relative longitudinal edge 17, and two end portions extending across relative longitudinal edge 17. The two slits 21 are positioned with their concavities facing and opposite, and define respective tabs 23 coplanar with front wall 15, and whose free edges 22—defined by the straight central portions of respective slits 21—project slightly and laterally with respect to front wall 15 to define a locator by which to position front wall 9 with respect to rear wall 10.

[0017] When forming packet 1, and particularly when folding appendixes 13 squarely, the free edges 22 of tabs 23 define a relatively rigid support for appendixes 13 as they are folded, and provide for automatically positioning front wall 9 with respect to rear wall 10.

[0018] In the FIG. 2 embodiment, a substantially C-shaped slit 24 is formed astride the portion of each longitudinal edge 17 extending along part 8 of collar 5, and comprises a straight central portion parallel to relative longitudinal edge 17, and two end portions extending across relative longitudinal edge 17. The two slits 24 define respective tabs 26, each of which is coplanar with relative lateral strip 16, and whose free edge 25—defined by the straight central portion of relative slit 24—projects slightly and frontwards with respect to front wall 15.

[0019] When forming packet 1, and particularly when folding front wall 9 squarely, the free edges 25 of tabs 26 define a relatively rigid support for front wall 9, so as to ensure front wall 9 and rear wall 10 are substantially perfectly parallel.

[0020] In a variation not shown, both a slit 21 and a slit 24 are formed astride the portion of each longitudinal edge 17 extending along part 8 of collar 5. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A rigid hinged-lid cigarette packet in the form of a rectangular-section prism, and comprising a cup-shaped container (2), a lid (3) hinged to said container (2), and a collar (5) in turn comprising a first part (6) projecting axially from an open end (7) of said container (2) and connected in sliding manner to said lid (3), and a second part (8) housed inside said container (2); the container (2) comprising a front wall (9), a rear wall (10), and two lateral walls (11) perpendicular to the front and rear walls (9, 10) and connected to the front and rear walls (9, 10) along longitudinal edges (12); each lateral wall (11) being defined by superimposing a respective first and a respective second appendix projecting laterally from the front wall (9) and rear wall (10) respectively; each first appendix being connected to the front wall (9) along a respective longitudinal edge (12); and the packet being characterized by said collar (5) being provided, at said second part (8), with at least two longitudinal slits (21; 24) defining respective tabs (23; 26), each of which has a free edge (22; 25) extending along a respective said longitudinal edge (12).
 2. A packet as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each said longitudinal slit (21; 24) is substantially C-shaped, and comprises a straight intermediate portion defining said free edge (22; 25).
 3. A packet as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said collar (5) comprises a front wall (15) substantially coplanar with an inner surface of said front wall (9) of the container; and two lateral strips (16), each of which is substantially coplanar with an inner surface of a respecttive said lateral wall (11) and is connected to the front wall (15) of the collar along a relative longitudinal edge (17) extending along a relative said longitudinal edge (12) of said container (2); each said longitudinal slit (21; 24) being located astride a relative said longitudinal edge (17) of said collar (5).
 4. A packet as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that each said tab (23) is coplanar with said front wall (15) of the collar; the relative said free edge (22) projecting laterally with respect to said front wall (15) of the collar and beyond the relative said longitudinal edge (17) of said collar (5).
 5. A packet as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that each said tab (26) is coplanar with the respective said lateral strip (16); the relative said free edge (25) projecting frontwards with respect to said front wall (15) of the collar and beyond the relative said longitudinal edge (17) of said collar (5). 